Thursday, December 20, 2012

AUSTIN, TX DECEMBER 20, 2012 - Austin Beer Guide are more than appropriately excited to announce the release of their eighth issue, Winter 2012, AKA the "Business as Usual" issue.

This bout the boys venture to Colorado to "cover" the Great American Beer Festival and live to tell about it, pick the brain of Real Ale head brewer Erik Ogershok, explore the relatively new winter beer style "the Beer Jacket", share a pint and conversation with former Uncle Billy's on the Lake brewer Spencer Tielkemeier, and spill the beans on the Best of 2012 Readers' and Editors' picks.

Yup, business as usual.

And speaking of business, an issue this grand deserves a party of equal grandness. Come join the Austin Beer Guide at Draught House on Thursday, December 20 at 6pm for their Winter Release/Best of 2012 Readers’ Poll Awards/Too Many Beers/Apocalypse Eve/Die Hard/Holiday Party!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

SAN ANTONIO, TX, December 18, 2012 – As a combined brewery/distillery, Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling can make products that no one else can.They have just released their most exciting beer to date – the first one to be aged in their own bourbon barrels - and they intend to brag about it pretty loudly.The beer is the 4threlease in the brewery’s Small Batch series – a line of seasonal, single batch brews designed to be unique, interesting, and often experimental.

Small Batch Series No. 4 is an Imperial Mesquite Smoked Porter aged in Ranger Creek Bourbon Barrels. The brewery took one of their year-round releases, their Mesquite Smoked Porter, and brewed it to 10% ABV. It was then aged for 10 months in their own Texas bourbon barrels,

Rob Landerman, head brewer at Ranger Creek, describes Small Batch Series No. 4 as “carrying a sumptuous nose of sweet oak, mesquite smoke, dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow and vanilla, along with flavors of dark bittersweet cocoa laced with sea salt, smoke, vanilla, and caramel. Its a warming winter release that is heavenly to sip now, but it will also age and mellow nicely for up to 10 years if stored carefully.”

Beer aged in bourbon barrels is nothing new to the craft industry. However, Ranger Creek is the first brewery to use their own bourbon barrels instead of purchasing used barrels from a bourbon distillery. The barrels were first used by the brewstillery to age their Ranger Creek .36 Texas Bourbon, then kept in-house to age their beer. Small Batch Series No. 4 allows Ranger Creek to focus on their goal of showcasing the relationship between beer and whiskey.

Small Batch Series No. 4 is available now at fine Texas craft beer retailers in San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas/Ft. Worth. The Small Batch series has received critical acclaim since its release in April. Small Batch Series No. 2 was recognized by DRAFT Magazine as a top 25 beer of 2012.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Ft. Collins, CO, September 28, 2012 – Hold on tight, Austin, we’re headed back to finish up another fantastic season in your backyard! New Belgium Brewing’s cycling circus, Tour de Fat, is returning to town for one day on Saturday, October 20 at the West End of Fiesta Garden. Tour de Fat rookies and veterans alike are encouraged to grab a bike and join us for a whimsical day of entertainment and two-wheeled revelry, all while raising money for Austin Cycling Association and Austin Ridge Riders.

For those who haven’t experienced Tour de Fat, it is a thrilling rite of passage that includes an unparalleled costumed bicycle parade, New Belgium beer, eccentric entertainment, local food, unusual bike contests and much more.

The free event, which raises money for local nonprofits through beer and merchandise purchases, has exceeded the $2 million mark for total funds raised since its inception 13 years ago. Last year’s Austin Tour de Fat festival raised nearly $13,400 and had about 2,000 attendees.

The pinnacle of Tour de Fat is the ceremonious car-for-bike swap. In each of the 15 cities, one person will become the center of the show as he or she gets up on stage, hands over their car keys, and pledges to live one year car-free. Tour de Fat is now seeking volunteers in the Austin area to accept the swapper challenge. Each car-for-bike swapper will choose a local bike shop to help turn a $2,250 budget into an ultimate car-replacement commuter bike. Vehicles for Charity will auction the car, with proceeds benefitting local cycling organizations.

“As if riding in the most colorful bike parade known to mankind isn’t enough, our entertainment this year will make your heads pop off like dandelions,” said Matt Kowal, Tour De Fat Impresario. “So put together a snazzy costume, hop on your bike and enjoy a day in the park. You won’t be disappointed!”

Beer – $5 for a 16 oz. pourIn celebration of Austin Craft Beer week, special tappings will also be available for $5 for a 12 oz. pour at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., to highlight New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series.

A few tidbits about Tour de Fat:

Start sewing, collecting and dreaming up something to wear as Tour de Fat encourages embracing your inner costume-loving self. Come dressed up to help put on the most colorful, respectful and creative bike parade ever witnessed.

Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible and composts and recycles waste. Bring only what you need and watch for proper receptacles. We’ll do the rest!

All performers grab your attention from alternatively empowered stages decked out in recycled materials; trucks and transport use biofuel sourced from recycled waste oils; and all vendors operate off the grid.

This is a pro-bike celebration, not an anti-car rally. Non-cyclists are more than welcome to join the festivities.

In 2011, Tour de Fat traveled to 13 cities, attracting a total of 69,550 festival attendees and 41,150 parade cyclists. It also raised $401,563 and boasted an impressive 90 percent diversion of waste from landfills.

About New Belgium Brewing CompanyNew Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces nine year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Belgo IPA, Sunshine Wheat, Shift Pale Lager, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

Monday, October 01, 2012

Need something to help you get over your hangover from the Texas Craft Brewers Festival? On October 7 (the day after the TCBF), Hops & Grain will celebrate its one-year anniversary. Press release from H&G:

HOPS &
GRAIN BREWERY TURNS ONEA Celebration
is in Order for H&G’s One Year AnniversaryWHO: The crew at Hops & Grain.

WHAT: Taking place one year to the
day from when the first batch of Hops & Grain beer was brewed, is the
anniversary fiesta at the East Austin brewery with flowing beer, food via the
Backstage Grill and live music. Twelve beers will be featured, eight of which
have never been available before and were brewed exclusively for the
anniversary, including several Volumes of Oak selections, and the debut of the
O-Fest, a crisp, timely Oktoberfest lager. The Hops & Grain team will also
host a beer mile competition at 3PM (a drinking game combining running and
speed drinking—oh yes!) with H&G founders, Josh and Meg Hare facing off in
the final race. It has been quite the first year for the brewery—bringing home
gold from the Great American Beer Festival last October, developing over 25
styles of beer and tripling production for next year—and the crew at Hops &
Grain can’t wait to celebrate with all of their loyal fans.

WHEN: Sunday, October 7

12 – 5PM

WHERE: Hops & Grain Brewery

507
Calles, Suite 101 Austin,
TX 78702WHY: Because everything (including
breweries) deserves a one-year birthday party thrown in their honor that they
quite possibly will forget.

TICKETS: $35 (Includes
a limited edition anniversary pint glass, free food, live music and access to
the brewery. All attendees over 21 will be able to enjoy free samples of all of
the H&G beers.)

ABOUT: Specializing in craft beer and
sustainability, Hops & Grain Brewery is located in East Austin (literally
at the end of Sixth Street) at 507 Calles, Austin, TX 78702. Hops & Grain
Tap Room is open every Friday from 2 – 6PM, and every Saturday from 12 – 4PM
with tours of the brewery given on Saturdays at 1 and 3PM. Tours are
approximately 45 minutes and include special samples not available in the tap
room. For further information please visit www.hopsandgrain.com or call 512.914.2467. ‘Like’
us on Facebook at Facebook.com/hopsandgrain and follow us on Twitter @HopsandGrain.

Friday, September 28, 2012

(Warning: This is being written while consuming a 1 pint 6 oz bottle of Divine Reserve #12 all by myself, a severe miscalculation. I thought #12 was just a double IPA, and not a 10% ABV old ale. Yeesh. Sorry for any typos or rambling.)

As you may have noticed, this blog has become a bit derelict over the past couple of years. While I once strove for some interesting writing, I Love Beer has devolved mostly into cut-and-paste press release reprints.

There's a reason for that, and no, I don't think it's laziness on my part. The real culprit is just life.

First off, I got pretty crazy busy as a staff writer for The Austin Chronicle, majoring in political journalism and minoring in beer writing. Then I got laid off from the Chronicle in late August 2011, a victim of the imploding print journalism industry. Which was actually pretty good for the beer writing/blogging: I notice, looking back in my archives, that I suddenly became a very prolific blogger in September and October of last year, and I had some good beer features in the Chron (I continued as their beer writer on a freelance basis).

But then I became employed again, landing a good job as communications director for Leticia Van de Putte, a great (and beer-friendly) state senator from San Antonio, back in December. I love the job, but it keeps me pretty busy. And when I get home from the Capitol, I really don't feel like writing about beer, just drinking it. I'm getting up at 5:30am to get my kids to school and squeeze in a workout (gotta work off that beer gut), and after work I'm often coaching my kids in soccer or doing something else with my family.

And it's only going to get worse. The Texas Legislature meets for regular sessions only on odd-numbered years, for 140 days beginning in mid-January. For a big giant state like Texas with a lot of needs, that's not very much. So the regular sessions are really, really hectic. I know from covering them as a reporter that they are intense, and I realize that as an actual Lege staffer, I will have pretty much zero time for extracurricular activities.

So, there are two things I'm getting at here:

1) Don't expect much in the way of interesting blogging, if any blogging at all.

2) I am no longer the beer writer for the Chronicle. I told them that, unless they were willing to go all the way from winter to summer of 2013 with no beer articles, they would need to find another beer writer. Of course, that's not something that a great publication like the Chron would be willing to do, so I've relinquished those duties.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm giving up the blog. Because really, there's no reason to. This was started in 2006 on a lark, not as a business enterprise, and I'll continue to run it as such. I don't really owe anyone anything, this is just my hobby, so I'll post when I can and I won't when I can't. I still appreciate any freebies thrown my way, but I can't guarantee I'll follow up with reviews or posts. Send me a press release and I may post it, or I may not, depending on how busy my life is.

My passion for craft beer has not diminished, just my ability to write about it.

One thing that will definitely disappear: Posts about craft-beer legislation here in Texas. While I took great pride in becoming a go-to source of reporting on the beer bills in the 2009 and 2011 Lege sessions, obviously my current job as a legislative insider compromises my ability to objectively cover such bills going forward.

So, what is the future of this blog? I don't really know. For now, I guess it will drift along, sometimes good, sometimes lame. In any case, I hope you'll keep me in your feed reader and enjoy it during the good periods. And when it is good, please raise your glass in a toast to it.

Never heard of this place. Apparently it's out at Avery Ranch (correction: Lakeway). But glad to see them working with a local brewer:

On Tuesday, October 2nd at 7pm, The League Kitchen & Tavern is hosting a four-course chef-inspired beer dinner featuring pairings with Austin's Live Oak Brewing. In true Oktoberfest fashion, The League is bringing beer maids and a polka band as part of the festivities. It's $65 per person. Reservations are required. Tickets are also sold at: http://theleaguekitchenandtavern.eventbrite.com/.

Chip McElroy, Founder of Live Oak, and Executive Chef Devan Gernert, will be walking dinner guests through each course and the beer pairing.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Yes, I'm being facetious - every beer lover in Austin knows this thing is coming, and I'm way late in reporting it, because I've let this blog turn into an abandoned amusement park (I'll be making a post soon on the future of this blog and my place in the Austin beer media universe).But, just in case you've been living under a rock, and because I need to justify my place in that universe (brewniverse?), here's a link to the festival website. Last year's event was great, and I bet this one will be even better. (And no, this festival is in no way affiliated with the one this past spring that became an infamous debacle.)http://texascraftbrewersfestival.org/

Just when you thought the mudslinging and lazy fact checking
couldn't get any worse, Austin Beer Guide return with even
juicer #brewmors, more half-assed news bites, out of context quotes,
un-substantiated overtly subjective content and
general malarky enough to drive you running back to the cable news
talking heads.

Inside the Fall issue the ABG crack reporting team
set out to find Austin's perfect "Gateway Beer," introduce
readers to the men and women behind our city's rich homebrew culture,
compose a tidy list of the plethora of area fall beer events,
chase the perfect TGIF Beer and Loathing adventure, poll area brewers
for opinions on porters, get inside the noodle of Pint House Pizza's
brewer, and stop and chat with the brewing team behind Whip In's Namaste
Brewing.

The Fall issue will be released on
Thursday, September 27th, 6PM at Hopfields' patio with several new and rare beers to
celebrate.

Tickets for beer sales will go on sale Thursday at
11AM with additional parking available at the parking garage on 31st and
Guadalupe.

Established in spring of 2011, Austin Beer Guide is
a quarterly publication focused on the exciting growth and community of
Austin's craft beer scene. Fall 2012 fill have a circulation of 7,500
copies and will be distributed at breweries, bars, restaurants, coffee shops,
and grocers in Austin and the surrounding area throughout the fall
season.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

The newest edition of my occasional beer news column, "Beer Flights," is printed on page 33 of today's Austin Chronicle. Or you can read it here. It includes news on the return of Celis Brewing to Austin, new breweries, the demise of Lovejoys, and Austin beers in cans. Please give it a read.

Upcoming beer events, one via Saint Arnold Brewing and two from Open the Taps, the group looking to change Texas beer laws (Note that one of the OtT events is members-only; my apologies for any weird formatting errors):

Saint Arnold Austin Pub Crawl

Saturday, August 25

This pub crawl will feature our open house format starting at 2:00 PM. We will be punching tickets at the first three stops for three hours so people can split up between the establishments. You will get your ticket at whichever stop you decide to visit first. But, VERY IMPORTANT, we will only be handing out the tickets between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Thus, you still need to start between 2:00 and 3:00. Then, at 5:00 PM, everybody will gather at the final stop, and that is where we will award the all NEW Pub Crawl pint glasses. We will have a large supply, so don't worry about not getting a glass. And as always, designated drivers are both eligible for the award and encouraged to attend.
So here is the layout:

Between 2:00 - 5:00 PM:

Brew Exchange

Kung Fu Saloon

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar

And the final stop:

Opal Divine's

Saturday, August 18, 2012: One Year Anniversary party at Common Table! (Dallas)

Join us at the Common Table, our first ever sponsor, to celebrate one year of Open The Taps in Dallas! There will be some special kegs and the unofficial band of Texas craft beer, Fish Fry Bingo, will be playing in the afternoon! 12-5 PM.

Saturday, August 25th, 5-7PM: Meet & Greet with new San Antonio Brewery- Old Boxcar Brewing

Members, please join us at the newest San Antonio brewery- Old Boxcar, for a meet and greet! There will of course be some samples to try!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

South Austin Brewing hosts an open house called Groovy Sunday, featuring tours of the brewery, live music, food trailers, fun and games. Most Sundays, from 3-7pm. SABC is located near South Congress, at 415 East Saint Elmo Lane, Unit 1D, 78745. There is no cover charge for Groovy Sunday, and beer tasting glasses and merchandise are for sale.Founder and Brewmaster Jordan Weeks worked for Hill Country Brewing in the late ‘90s. Inspired by Austin brewer Pierre Celis’ Belgian ales, Weeks produces two flagship ales: Golden Ale and Saison D’Austin. Austin’s finer beer stores, markets, pubs, and restaurants host their keg taps and sell 750ml wire-corked bottles. SABC will produce seasonal and specialty beers in months to come.Christopher Oglesby produces Groovy Sundays. Oglesby is the author of the award-winning book about Texas musicians “Fire in the Water, Earth in the Air,” and is associated with many of Austin’s more notorious musicians: “I believe in celebrating local artists. Groovy Sunday is a great way for tourists and visitors to enjoy authentic South Austin culture, and for Austin folk to celebrate local handcrafted beer, food, and music.”South Austin Brewing Company celebrated its Grand Opening in February 2012, an event which drew media attention for hundreds of attendees who arrived to sample Austin’s newest craft brewery and enjoy Texas music."South Austin Brewing Company was a great partner to join forces with for its opening in February,” says Eric Silverstein, founder of local food trailers Peached Tortilla and Yume’ Burger who served food during the opening event. “They drew an incredible crowd with a never-ending line. We plan to be back at SABC to serve at future events."Other food trailers scheduled for Groovy Sundays include: Be More Pacific, Chi’Lantro, Double Trouble BBQ, Best Wurst, and Belgian Waffle Company.Groovy Sunday schedule is available on SABC’s website: www.southaustinbrewing.com

BeerFeast 2012
will feature more than 40 breweries and 60 different craft beers carefully
selected by Flying Saucer’s own resident beer guru, Keith Schlabs, and Austin Flying
Saucer general manager, Ted Rowell. In addition, very rare and limited-release
beers will be tapped every hour on the hour from 1 to 7 p.m. Some of those
hard-to-find beers include Allagash Four, Dogfish Head Positive Contact, Oskar
Blues Ten Fidy and Ommegang Art of Darkness, just to name a few. The Saucer has
also arranged for popular local food trucks to be back on-site at this year’s
festival for attendees to purchase food during the event.

“This event allows
us to showcase a large selection of rare and unique brews for Austin craft beer
lovers to enjoy,” Rowell said. “We’re selecting 30 bottles and 30 taps to
secure 60 different craft beers for this event, which is one of the largest
offerings we’ve had at this beer festival.”

Tickets to
BeerFeast 2012 are $30, and for a very limited time can be purchased at a
discounted price of $25 online at www.Beerfeast2012.com or at the
Saucer, beginning on August 16th. You’ll pay the regular price after Aug. 31,
and on the day of the festival, if there are any tickets still available, they
will be $40 at the door.

Ticket
purchase includes admission to the festival, a 2012 BeerFeast tasting glass and
a tasting card good for 12 samples of any of the 60 festival beers. A very
limited number of VIP tickets will also be available for purchase this year.
They are expected to sell out quickly and will only be available online prior
to the festival for $65. In addition to the tasting card and glass, VIP ticket
purchasers will receive early admission to the festival at noon, food vouchers
redeemable at any of the festival food trucks, a 2012 BeerFeast T-shirt and a
VIP Brew Caddy lanyard to hold their taster glass. Also, all VIP ticket holders
will have access to a VIP only line for the rare brew tappings and will be able
to sample the hourly brews 10 minutes prior to general ticket holders.
Additional 12-sample taster cards will be available for purchase by general
admission and VIP ticket holders only for $6 on the day of the festival. There
will be designated driver tickets available for $15, which will include
admission to the festival and complimentary soft drinks.

This
year’s BeerFeast fun is only for those 21 and older who have purchased a ticket
to attend. For more information, call 512-454-8200 or email info@Beerfeast2012.com.

The Austin
festival is one of three BeerFeast events happening at Flying Saucer locations
across Texas, with the Fort Worth BeerFeast taking place on Oct. 13 and the new
Sugar Land location celebrating BeerFeast on Oct. 27.

Flying Saucer
Draught Emporium was founded in 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas. Offering a wide
variety of imported and domestic quality craft beers, as well as a full pub
menu, the Flying Saucer family has 15 locations throughout Texas, Arkansas,
Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Missouri. For more information,
visit www.beerknurd.com.

The third annual BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival is coming up at the end of the month, August 31-September 2. Over 400 beers to choose from, and the beach. Hard to argue against that. Click here for details. (After a now-infamous beer festival disaster here in Austin, I feel compelled to add: I've never been to this festival, and know nothing about it, so I'm telling you about it purely for informational purposes, and this plug is not an endorsement.)

International #IPA DayOn August 2nd breweries and hopheads around the globe will unite to celebrate the hoppy goodness of IPAs. We certainly don’t need any more reasons to enjoy Stash IPA – it’s incredibly delicious. But we like to party with other hopheads. So we have organized events kicking off on International #IPA Day leading up to our 1st Saturday Tour. Break out your Stash IPA t-shirt and join us in celebrating the mighty hop. Get special swag if you’re spotted by our brewery crew.

August 2nd - #IPA Day @ Flying Saucer in Austin and The Friendly Spot in San Antonio

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium today announced it will participate in International #IPADay on Thursday, Aug. 2 at all Flying Saucer locations throughout Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.

International #IPADay is a grassroots movement created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers and brewers worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the conversation. The event calls for craft beer drinkers from across the social sphere and around the globe to raise pints in a collective toast to one of craft beer’s most iconic styles − the India Pale Ale. Participants are encouraged to share photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes and thoughts with the world through any and all social media platforms available to them, using the event’s title hashtag to post and follow the celebration happening around the world.

Flying Saucer locations will celebrate the occasion with specials on India Pale Ales from various breweries, rare tappings, special flights and food specials, all varying by location. The Saucer is also partnering with the social media app Untappd to offer an “IPA Day at the Saucer” badge to attendees.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 10, 2012Royal Fig Catering Artisan Dinner Series: Featuring Jester King Craft BreweryWHAT: Royal Fig Catering’s Artisan Dinner Series continues at The Harvest Room with featured artisan Jester King Craft Brewery. In this series Chef Dan Stacy will incorporate Jester King signature craft brews into his culinary creations. Both artisans uphold a rustic philosophy, encompassing seasonal and local ingredients. The venue will host 40 individuals for this exclusive event. The venue is also home to a number of social mixers, parties, rehearsal dinner’s, workshops and more. MENU:Chicken Liver Mousse with le Petit Prince MustardMortadella Mussels with Noble King Broth
Braised Halibut Cheeks with Boxer’s Revenge Aged Wild Ale &Smoked Goat Ragout

Drink’in the South Marinated Porchetta with Okra & Tomato Hash

Foie Gras Smores with Black Metal Imperial Stout DrizzleWHEN:7pm to the end Saturday July 21, 2012WHERE:The Harvest Room at Royal Fig Catering 4238 Bee Caves Rd. Austin, Tx. 78746 Limited parking available at the Harvest Room. Valet will be provided.WEB: http://www.royalfig.com/harvest-room/TWITTER:@RoyalFigAustin @seedlingtruckABOUT:Royal Fig prides themselves on fresh, seasonal ingredients derived from organic farms throughout central Texas. Each menu is created with seasonality in mind, so guests eat food at the peak of freshness. The Seedling Truck is a mobile food venture and features Royal Fig’s rustic seasonal cuisine on the go! You can find them in Austin daily through continual updates on twitter and Facebook. Like and follow them to keep in the know so you can indulge in their fresh local cuisine wherever they are in Austin!! ###

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Now personally, I don't think beer and church need to be mutually exclusive or at odds with one another. But I suppose there is some insight to be gleaned from whether the folks in a particular county Tweet more about one rather than the other. It definitely doesn't surprise me to see church leading in the South. Check out this post.

Monday, July 09, 2012

Twisted X, our local makers of "Tex-Mex beer," have joined the trend of other local alcohol makers and are moving their brewing operations to Dripping Springs, a small town in the beautiful Hill Country west of Austin. Currently, Twisted X is located in the northern suburb of Cedar Park. The Austin American-Statesman has a story about it here.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

The San Antonio Express-News had a couple of stories on Alamo Beer Company's plans to build a brewery of its own on San Antonio's east side (see yesterday's post for a KSAT-TV story).

This link goes to SAE-N's report on the Planning Commission's approval of the plan, sending it to the City Council; this link goes to the paper's Downtown Blog, where Benjamin Olivo opines that the brewery will be good for the neighborhood.

AUSTIN, TX JUNE 28, 2012 - Those soggy bastards that brought you Austin Beer Guide Spring 2012, Winter 2011, Fall 2011, Summer 2011, and Spring 2011 are at it again, and this time it's Summer 2012!

With just barley breaking a sweat, these palate pirates have created what they believe to be the BEST GUIDE YET. In this action packed issue, our heros venture into the dark depths of Austin's dive bar culture, look into the future of packaged beer, agitate brewers for their wheat beer opinions, traverse the best and worst drinking holes of New Braunfels, spend some time with the brains and brawn behind Rogness Brewing, and check in on the mind of award winning brewer, Brian "Swifty" Peters.

In light of this amazing feat, Austin Beer Guide invites their dear readers to celebrate in the release, nay birth, of the beautiful Summer 2012 issue with an abundance of beer, casked, kegged, and canned, on the patio of Billy's on Burnet, for what some have deemed "PATIO-BEER-MAGEDON!"

On the evening of June 28th, at 7pm, Billy's will turn their patio and side parking lot into a spectacle of rare and special beers that may only be remotely imagined as the ancient Roman Colosseum, but with casks, kegs, and cans. Austin Beerworks will be debuting their Summer seasonal berliner weisse Eisenhorn, Hops & Grain are bringing out a keg of their Barelywine, a first of the Volumes of Oak series, Jester King will have a cask of their Drinkin' the Sunbelt Collaborationbeer with Danish Gyspsy brewer Mikkeller, and Live Oak are bringing a cask so rare and mysterious,not even the Austin Beer Guide know what it will contain!

And to show their readers how dear they are, any of these beers purchased will come with a collectible Austin Beer Guide #Brewmor Glass or BeerTownAustin 'Stache Glass. And that's not all! Those generous assholes have another freebie for their dear readers so radical it's not fit for print.

Patio-beer-magedon- Austin Beerworks, Hops & Grain, Jester King, and Live Oak will be pouring some pretty special casks and kegs on the patio. There will also be a nice selection of some of Texas’ finest beer in cans available. Purchase tokens inside, or pay cash outside, enjoy.

Summer Reading List- Be the first of your friends to get yr mits on the new guide. Awesome cover by Michael Sieben, new features, some swear words, lots of pictures, and of course, that great guide content you’ve come to rely on.

Surprises- yeah, we’ve got more up our collective sleeves than this. Come next Thursday night to Billy’s to find out. Here’s a hint- it’s a hot way to keep it cool.